Past Sermons

"The Good Neighbor" by Preacher Doc C.

Introduction:

This GODsday/Sunday Sermon has special significance for all Christians, and
especially we website founders who emphasize the vital Gospel Truth that We are Sons & Daughters of
our Almighty,and loving, Father GOD. Therefore, in dignity and Grace, we regularly address each other as
Brothers & Sisters in the Family of God.

Most notably, Brother Dave, Truthist1@Juno.com, Who, by his
leadership and good work, established our Pure Christian website, and is constantly
upgrading its quantitative and QUALITATIVE value.
For if we Ambassadors, Disciples and followers of Jesus, save ONE soul, or inspire one more to Truth
evangelism with all worldwide, our Prayers and good wishes will have been Answered.

Brother Dave now adds: It is Brother Preacher Doc who originated our name "Pure Christians", and who
also supports and contributes much to this website. Two or more sincere Christians, working in harmony
to do God's will, and thus to share the living Gospel (Good News) OF JESUS CHRIST, are able to do much
more than just two individual Christians working alone. The actual result is usually closer to the square of
the number of COOPERATING and COORDINATING Individuals. For example, three Christians joined in a
common spiritual goal, could do the effective work of nine Christian Individuals working "alone"; four
unified together would be as effective as 16; 100 as 10,000; etc. The fields of Supreme opportunity are
now white; but the pure spiritual laborers are still too few.

The SERMON:
A lawyer, trying to trick Jesus, asked Jesus how he could get to
Heaven. CHRIST Answered,

"You shall love GOD with your whole heart, with all your mind, and with all your Soul; and you shall love
your neighbor as yourself."

The lawyer, still trying to trick Jesus, asked the volatile issue in that
territory, "WHO is my neighbor?" (with Whom do we align ourselves ?)

Jesus Answered, (see Luke 10:29-37)

"A Man had been robbed & beaten and lay by the road side. A (Jewish)
priest, and a (Jewish Levite) temple official, both saw him, and both just walked by. A good and kind
STRANGER, a Samaritan, (despised by the Jews at that time) came along, and with compassion, dressed
the Man's wounds and carried him to an inn. There he paid the innkeeper to help the Man until he could be
strong enough to travel
on."

Jesus asked this lawyer of Israel,

"Which of these three was a Neighbor to the injured Man?"

The lawyer said, "The one who helped the injured Man was Neighborly." (Brother Dave here notes that
this Jewish lawyer could not even speak the so disgusting name of "Samaritan"; as all non-Jews and
non-Israelis were then considered to be only "dogs" and thus non-Humans ! Jesus still teaches us in His
Good Spirit that in the Kingdom of Heaven (The Family of God) there are NO JEWS, NO GENTILES, etc.; but
ALL ARE EQUALLY Sons and Daughters of our loving Father God in Spirit potential !)

JESUS CHRIST then said, Go and do the same; be a good Neighbor."

(Brother Dave now: Our Master Jesus also continues to teach us to even dare to "Love your enemies."
and to love and serve each and every Human Person with the Divine Dignity that you know or believe
that JESUS CHRIST WOULD DO ! Yes, What would JESUS DO ? Let us come to Him and go and do likewise !
Amen !)

(Preacher Doc continues:) And Brothers & Sisters, I am proud to say, that we Pure Christians, go and do
the same. We practice being good Neighbors, in person, and on this worldwide internet website.

Doc C, a contributing Preacher for the Pure Christian Faith.

(You may wish to share your sermons, prose, poetry, art, etc. here with us; this site should grow to
thousands of pages of inspiring evangelical tools. All work should be non-denominational
non-ecclesiastical Personal God-consciousness in the Family of Jesus: the Family of God)

Called. From Nets

A written ministry of devotions and meditations by: Brother John R. Parsley,
C2002

"And Jesus said unto them, Come ye after me, and I will make you become fishers of men. And
straightway they forsook their nets, and followed him."
~ Mark 1:17-18

When the call of Jesus Christ comes, we are called from some "thing", and called unto some "One". The
something is our nets; the someOne is Jesus Christ. When a siner is saved, he is not only saved "from",
but also saved UNTO, and INTO, our Master JESUS !

I like the words used in Mark's gospel, "I will make you become fishers of men."

The two key words here are make and become. Salvation comes in
an instant; but to be a fisher of men, and a disciple, one must yield to the process. To "make" something
is defined as: to bring into being; build, create, produce; to cause to be, or become. "Become" speaks of
a process of progressive development. To "become" is to "grow to be". The definition for "grow" is: to
come into being, or produce naturally; to develop, thrive; to increase in size, and to cultivate.

Now don't get scared; you are not back in English 101! The point is this: when you look at these
definitions from a spiritual perspective, it should be like a photograph developing before your eyes.
Definitions are like cross-references, they progressively open a truth and throw more and more light until
there is the revelation that so blesses your heart and becomes bread for your hungry soul. "Truth comes
by Revelation," says John Wright Follette. And since I speak English, and read from an English Bible,
might I say that a good English dictionary is a most marvelous tool for opening up Scripture. Webster
was a Christian, you know.

What is the "net" you are holding onto? And how long have you been holding onto it?

You say, "John, I'm no fisherman! What are you talking about ?"

There is a spiritual principle here. God divinely orchestrates every occasion in the Bible as a picture of
truth. There is no event that is happenstance in the living word of God. The principle is this: as long as
you hold on to your "nets" you cannot (are unable) to follow. You cannot hold a net and a cross
simultaneously. It is a crisis choice; you carry one or the other. The "net" represents all the worldly
activities that we engaged in before we received our call from Christ. The cross, quite simply, represents
Victory over death in and with JESUS !

"And he said to them all, if any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily,
and follow Me" ~ Luke 9:23

Notice the words all, will, deny, take, and daily. Most revealing. Nets are not heavy. Crosses are so
heavy that Jesus fell down under His. ~ Mt. 27:32

Nets have a familiarity about them, which have a drawing effect and make them attractive to the heart
that is not yet fully consecrated. When circumstances did not seem to work out the way Peter thought
they would, Peter went back to his nets:

"Simon Peter saith unto them, I go a fishing. They say unto him, We also go with you." ~Jn 21:3

Do you notice that the man, who is bent on going back to his nets, has a magnetic quality about him ?
and which has the ability to drag some others with him?

John 21:3 ends with, "and that night they caught nothing."

In Luke chapter 5 verse 5 we read: "And Simon answering said unto him, 'Master, we have toiled
(contention; struggle; strife) all night, and have taken nothing.' "

The "nets" that we go back to under our own will, produce nothing, and cause much toil, contention,
struggle, and strife. Work that is done in the flesh causes perspiration; but work that is done in the Spirit
is produced by Divine Inspiration.

Because of Adam's self will, and intent to live independently of God, God was caused to say to Adam:

"By the sweat of your face, you shall eat bread." ~ Gen 3:19

Every disciple is a believer; but not every believer is a disciple. Being a disciple is conditional:

"And he said to all `if anyone would come after me, let him deny
himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.' " ~ Lk 9:23

The two key words here are "if" and "would." "If" speaks of condition and "would" speaks of the will. Has
God's will become your will? Or do you still desire your "net"? The more we surrender to God's will, the
farther we will move from the place where we once used our nets to fish.

One more thing about nets: When left on the shore they become worn, weather-beaten, and
deplapidated. The net becomes so decayed, or even degenerate, that it fulfills not the natural purpose
for which it was designed to do ~ it becomes a meaningless thing. (see Ec 1:14)

Scripture quotations are from the King James Version (KJV) and several other versions, and put into
modern English.

Jesus Christ wept over Jerusalem

The Sermon for this GODsday/Sunday is taken from the Gospel of Our Lord and
Savior Jesus CHRIST.

CHRIST wept over the city of Jerusalem. ---

In my Opinion, that is significant. For Jerusalem therefore is in GOD's Plan to be CHRISTIAN. Certainly it
has to be an "Open City", under U.N. administration, etc.

I hear many 'experts' say; "We are already in World War III"!? That is an
alarming analysis.

One, because war is unacceptable in this modern, educated World
with immediate means for Diplomats to discuss & avoid conflict.

Two, with catastrophic weapons, war is unthinkable for Nations to 'settle their difference of opinion'.

So what is the Solution? I am ready at any time to participate in a
Christian, Arab and Jews conference about "the Israeli-Palestinian problem", and especially: "Who
should rule Jerusalem & how."

Is that your, mine and anyone's concern? Yes, it is. For if I, as a Pure
Christian Preacher, believe and know that the CLEAREST (thus PUREST) Interpretation of
CHRIST's Preaching is (eventually here) a Christian Jerusalem. And it is not, when it could and should
be.

Then who is failing in this Obligation? -- Enters a Christian Preacher on a
National TV Program that is considered an expert analyst. And he insists we are
already locked into an ideological World War III, with many actual conflicts.

I, for one, will never accept that only the Jews "own" Jerusalem; and that it is a "Jewish city". (By their
interpretation of parts of the Old Testament.) The Arabs insist they are the original
inhabitants of that desert area; it is their Homeland, and THEY are the
rightful Owners, etc. The Jews say they are the owners, and in fact now 'own' all they have militarily
gained control of. No, all lands belong to our Lord God ! We are merely sojourners here for awhile.

If I am for an International, administered by the U.N. , "Open Jerusalem".
then, certainly, I am for any & all Visitors to this Pure Christians Homepage to
sign in our Guest Book and express your opinion &/or comment.

Let's all work for True Christian peace and progress worldwide ! Amen !

Doc C, a contributing Preacher for the Pure Christians Faith.

(Other Preachers, teachers and believers are welcomed to contribute here.)